Freezing rain tests drivers; after-school activities canceled

Several events Friday and over the weekend were postponed or canceled, including dances at South and West high schools and a cross-country ski meet at Service High, the district says. A weekend theater event at West was also postponed, and school bus service before 10 a.m. today was canceled, effectively ending participation by Anchorage students in a Wasilla wrestling event, according to the School District.

School District spokeswoman Heidi Embley said the district had received criticism from parents for not closing schools.

"We got tons of feedback from people who thought the roads were too dangerous, but it's a situation you can never win," Embley said. If they'd made the decision to shut down schools, others would have complained that the driving conditions weren't bad enough, Embley said.

"We always encourage parents to make decisions based on what's best for their family," Embley said. "We want to make sure parents are the decision maker on whether their child should go to school. We just ask that they call the school and let the school know."

A freezing rain advisory from the National Weather Service expired at 1 p.m. Friday, but the weather service warned of slippery roads and dangerous travel conditions through the evening and this morning. Forecasters expected the mixture of rain and light snow to continue into the weekend.

As of noon, Anchorage police had responded to 34 vehicles in distress and 23 wrecks since midnight. Four of those included injuries, according to 911 dispatchers.

At least two school buses had trouble on the slick roads. One blocked Spenard Road early Friday near Westchester Lagoon, stuck in the downhill, one-lane feeder to Minnesota Drive. Another bus full of ROTC students headed to the airport slid off O'Malley Road near Birch Road, police said.

Nobody on either bus reported injuries, police said.

The bus service cancellation this morning includes buses set to carry Anchorage students to the North South Varsity Invitational Wrestling Tournament in Wasilla. Because School District policy says students cannot use their own transportation for out-of-town events, Anchorage students will not be allowed to participate in the tournament, the school district says.

Avalanche danger in Turnagain Pass has also increased with snow slabs created by wind, warm weather and fresh snow, according to the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center.

Reach Casey Grove at casey.grove@adn.com or 257-4589.